Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT)

Which nerve is responsible for general sensory innervation of the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?

1. Glossopharyngeal nerve

2. Lingual nerve

3. Facial nerve

4. Vagus nerve

The correct answer is: Lingual nerve

The lingual nerve is the correct choice because it provides general sensory innervation to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. This nerve is a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V) and carries sensory information, such as touch and pain, from that part of the tongue to the central nervous system. While the glossopharyngeal nerve plays a role in providing sensation to the posterior third of the tongue, and the facial nerve primarily facilitates taste sensation in the anterior two-thirds through the chorda tympani branch, it is the lingual nerve that is directly responsible for the general sensory innervation in the region specified. The vagus nerve, on the other hand, innervates structures in the throat and organs in the chest and abdomen, but does not contribute to the sensation of the tongue. Thus, the lingual nerve is the correct answer for the general sensory innervation of the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.